Generations of Magic

Chapter 1: The Burning

-Dublin, Ireland=sixteen hundred and ninety-one-

Siobhan Riley and her recently turned seventeen-year-old son Matthew were saying goodbye to her parents Richard and Mary before going to the port and getting on the ship bound for Salem, Massachusetts.

“Come Matthew.” Siobhan said as she picked up a carpet bag, a sack and one end of their large trunk.

Matthew nodded and picked up the other sack and the other end of the trunk. They walked away from the cart and stood in line to get onto the boat.

Siobhan was first and they checked inside her bags to find clothes in the trunk, jars of food like jam and shepherd’s pie in the sack and knitting, needle work and crocheting inside the carpet bag. The man admitted her onto the ship while he examined Matthew’s sack that contained jams, bread and shepherd’s pie. He allowed Matthew onto the ship as well.

The journey was a long one with many people becoming seasick and Siobhan, being a healer, really a witch disguised as a healer, helped the sick people as best she could but some couldn’t be saved.

Soon they docked in Salem and Siobhan and Matthew found a place to live within the village. Matthew and some of the townsmen built the house while Siobhan looked for work as a healer in the town.

Siobhan found work as the local healer and as she took care of the people of Salem Village she had no idea of the trouble brewing for herself because of her profession.

Three months passed and Siobhan and Matthew live out their new lives, never knowing the plot to kill Siobhan for witchcraft.

“Goody Riley!” The Reverend called as he knocked on the Riley’s door.

“Yes Reverend?” Siobhan asked as she opened the door to reveal him with two other men.

“My niece claims you practice the crime of witchcraft. Is that true?” The Reverend asked as he looked down at her.

“No I am but a simple healer sir. There is no witchcraft here.” Siobhan responded to the Reverend.

“She has given written proof that your specter came to her in the dead of night. Do you plead guilty?” The Reverend asked as he read from the sheet of parchment he held in his hand.

“No I do not plead guilty sir. You make take me if you wish so I may prove my innocence.” Siobhan answered him. The Reverend nodded to the two men who moved next to Siobhan. One of the men took her hands and tied them together with rope; the other then led her to the waiting cart.

Siobhan was driven through town in the open cart to the jail to await her trial. Three days later Siobhan, dirty and in need of a bath, was brought out of the jail and taken to the court house for her trial.

“Goody Riley, the charges against you are using your specter to torment my niece, killing Goody Stewart’s newborn twins and attempting to get my niece to sign the Devil’s book. How do you plead?” The Reverend asked.

“Not guilty sir.” Siobhan told him.

“Liar! She lies! Right now she is making me hot, burning hot!” Mary, the Reverend’s niece, yelled out. The man next to Mary, Mr. Robert Standish, reached over to feel her skin only to yank his hand away as he yelped.

“Her skin burns!” Mr. Standish called out to the Reverend.

“I pronounce you guilty of the crime of witchcraft and sentence you to burn at the stake!” The Reverend called out to Siobhan.

“I am innocent.” Siobhan stated to him calmly as she was led out of the court house to the cart that would take her back to the jail to await her sentence.

Five days after her trial Siobhan was brought out of her jail cell to an open cart. The driver of the cart, Robert Standish, drove her through the main part of town to the site of her burning. Mr. Standish led her from the cart to the pile of wood with the stake attached to the top of the pile. He tied her body to the stake and tied her hands behind her at the back of the stake.

Siobhan saw Matthew in the crowd. ‘Get away from here after I am gone.’ She thought to Matthew and she saw him nod slightly at her message.

Siobhan watched as the bottom of the logs were lit on fire, she closed her eyes and waited to die.

Matthew stood and watched his mother burn to death because of her destiny. When it was over he went back to their home, loaded all of his belongings and the things his grandparents gave them and left Salem for good.

Matthew found an abandoned cabin in the woods of Norfolk, Virginia and made it his home. A year and a half later another family by the name of Hennessey moved next to him and Matthew married the daughter Kathleen. They have their first child eight months later in sixteen hundred and ninety-five and name him Ryan. In sixteen hundred and ninety-seven Ryan is joined by a brother Patrick, in sixteen hundred and ninety-eight they are joined by a sister named Kelly and lastly in seventeen hundred and one Kathleen gives birth to third son Kyle.